Phase transitions and magnetic domain coexistence in Nd<sub>0.5</sub>Sr<sub>0.5</sub>MnO<sub>3</sub> thin films

ORAL

Abstract

We present a study of the physical properties of perovskite oxide Nd0.5Sr0.5MnO3 (NSMO) thin films grown on (110)-oriented SrTiO3 substrates. In bulk form, NSMO displays magnetic and electronic transitions from paramagnetic/insulator to ferromagnetic (FM)/metal and then to antiferromagnetic (AFM)/charge-ordered insulating phase with decreasing temperature. In thin films, AFM ordering only occurs in an anisotropic strain state such as those obtained in (110)-oriented substrates which allows for Jahn-Teller distortions of the MnO6 octahedral and MnO6 bond length distortions [1]. In this work, resonant x-ray reflectivity and magnetometry measurements showed that the NSMO film breaks up into three layers with different density and magnetic properties. X-ray magnetic circular dichroism confirmed the FM-AFM transition occurs between 80 K and 160 K for the main portion of the NSMO film, while x-ray magnetic linear dichroism provided a clear signature of the AFM phase at 80 K. At an intermediate temperature of 110 K, photoemission electron microscopy demonstrated the coexistence of FM and AFM domains. These temperature-dependent transitions have strong potential applications in next generation memory devices.

[1] S. Y. Jang et al., Solid State Commun., 149, 1760-1764 (2009)

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Presenters

  • I-Ting Chiu

    • Chemical Engineering, University of California, Davis

Authors

  • I-Ting Chiu

    • Chemical Engineering, University of California, Davis

  • Apurva Mehta

    • Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
    • SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
    • SLAC

  • Alexander Michael Kane

    • University of California, Davis
    • Materials Science and Engineering, University of California Davis
    • Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Davis

  • Rajesh V Chopdekar

    • University of California, Davis
    • Materials Science and Engineering, University of California Davis
    • Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
    • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
    • LBNL Advanced Light Source

  • Christopher Rouleau

    • The Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

  • Alpha N'Diaye

    • Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
    • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
    • Advanced Light Source
    • Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA

  • Elke Arenholz

    • Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
    • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
    • Advanced Light Source

  • Yayoi Takamura

    • University of California, Davis
    • Materials Science and Engineering, University of California Davis
    • Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Davis